Let me see if I understand this.

* You booked a room through Expedia.
* Provided your credit card # upon check in, which presumably had a hold put against it for incidentals.
* If all was correct you should have been good to go. Or they should have raised issue at checkin, not after the fact.
* When you picked up your meal, what specifically did they ask you to do re: paying for the meal?
* When you were told on the first call that it was a cc issue, why did you tell them you would deal w/ it in the morning? This part confuses me. If I'm told there's a cc issue, I'm on w/ the credit card asap as well as the hotel.
* The hotel, thinking for whatever reason there's a problem, asks you to pay for it (because it's literally a consumable item), and you decide to send it back rather than walk down & give them the $10.
* I totally get why you're upset as it's interrupting your meal & it's also a cc issue.
* But I definitely don't get the just getting the cc situation sorted right then - and more importantly I don't get the cancelling the room over the next 3 nights if you needed to be there.
* And lastly, while I've never booked through Expedia, I can't see them giving you a refund for the 3 nights. Nor do I think the hotel should. Perhaps, some token of appreciation, apology, etc.

I get why you're upset, I get why an apology is in order if this went down as described, but not to sound like Chris Elliott, there are things you could have done as well as things the hotel could have done.

And back to your question, no I've not experienced a similar situation.

Cheers.

Booking was actually NOT thru Expedia. It was done in person on check-in by filling in one of those standard third party authorization forms. So, you are right -- all was fine at that time for the entire stay. The form was completed, all details taken, keys provided etc. ect. first time any issue was raised was with the food. I previously ordered a drink per usual it was fine. So, with the quesadilla I suggested coming down afterwards or in the morning but they insisted. However, in the morning they claimed there was an issue with the 'information" nn the card. naturally I asked them to clarify what the error was and contatced the 3rd party who had filled it in and asked them to contact the hotel directly and see it was fine. they did do and reminded the hotel that the card had been provided for payment of the stay. But the hotel kept calling me, even sending up somebody -- not from accounting if this was a genuine CC issue -- but a "loss prevention" person banging on the door. So, there was no issue on check -in , the standard form had been filled in and yet I was been dirupted constantly and unecessarily as these forms are self-explanatory. I then decided to cut short the stay as they did not see anything unusual with thi smode of behaviour. And asked to check out that day instead of stay there as planned, they "magically" had already charged the card. Seems more like a case of badgering a customer unecessarily -- or a lack of customer service in the extreme. Hope this clarifies the sequence of events and reason for concern here.

Had these guys demonstrated any sign of willingess to genuinely serve ie by an apology for this, then I would have stayed on. Byt having called Guest Services, they seemed to get worse at the local site after my call to Guest Services, not better!

Which hotel is this? Is there any particular reason you haven't named it?

Courtyard non US location. It seemed to me, because of local attitute or whatever, the hotel's attitude got worse after I contacted Guest Service so the exact location I will leave out for the moment -- unless you think it will really help..As for not hearing of Courtyard locations with this form of restaurant/meal service ie call from the room, order and pick up -- well, this one sure has that system so I guess here's a first for it..

Having filled out literally thousands of these forms for my employees over the years, I can venture the following guess:

1.) CC Auth sent to hotel.
2.) Hotel receives and notes it is missing the (generally) required copy of photo ID and credit card.
3.) Hotel contacts 3rd party.
4.) 3rd party promises to send.
5.) Guest shows up. Hotel checks in guest anyway.
6.) 3rd party ignores hotel.
7.) Hotel freaks out.

...and I say that because I've sent the form only when unable to send photo ID and credit card image and then subsequently forgotten to send the promised addon. Some hotels are mega strict about this. Another scenario would be the hotel didn't (as so many do) notice the 3rd party checked the "Room and all incidentals" box and felt the guest wasn't authorized to charge anything to the room without a separate form of payment for incidentals. I don't know why so many hotels overlook a box on their own form.

That third party form really is a ridiculous system in certain cases.

I was trying to have a bottle of champagne sent up to a friend's room who was on vacation. Marriott Curacao INSISTED that I fill out the form, print it, sign it, re-scan it, and e-mail it back (or else fax...but honestly, like I've got a fax machine...what is this 1983?). All this for a $100 bottle of wine. I get why they want to be careful with something expensive like a multi-night hotel stay with incidentals, but they are, in fact, quite fastidious when it comes to these forms having every "i" dotted and "t" crossed.

There must be a better way for "small" third party purchases - say under $500 - maybe online?

But I digress. From my experience dealing with the staff in Curacao (4 or 5 calls over 2 days), they get very caught up in these forms being perfect. I can understand that if something wasn't 100% perfect how they might have acted this way - not in the sense that I think it's RIGHT, but I understand in that it seems that it isn't a completely unusual reaction from Marriott hotels. For all we know they get a LOT of training about several horror stories where the hotel ended up short thousands and thousands of dollars because they didn't properly verify a third party payer.

I have to admit I'm completely confused - Expedia was mention somewhere I thought by the OP but guess not...I've never heard of a "standard 3rd party authorization form" - what exactly is it? Was this perhaps a "crew" room like the airlines have a airport hotels and other companies have at other locations?

Ok I think I know what the "3rd party is" now...something like CLS or CLC...hotel's need to be "mega strict" otherwise they wont receive payment (they are mega strict too)

it does happen - I know of a hotel who recently wrote off $15K from a 3rd party

There was never an error with the form. It was filled in in person by the third pary in the presence of the hotel front desk staff. All relevant date provided there and then in their presence. Further, there is no reason to use security personnel -- accounting would do if this is a genuine concern over billing.

Question for OP since I'm curious.

Someone else paid for your stay in person, at the front desk.
You left the hotel days earlier than expected.
Did you go somewhere else paid for by your 3rd party, and where there any problems?

I understand the frustration of being hounded for immediate dinner payment, but I don't see it as a " I'm leaving the hotel now even though I didn't pay for it " moment.

IMO, there's more to this and I think you were wrongly or rightly "removed" from the hotel.

My bad. The OP mentioned it was not through Expedia & I read it as being booked through Expedia.

His original post said that after he requested them to take the food that they did so. There was no mention of banging on the door, which implies a greater use of force. If they sent up security, might have been all who was available at the time.

BTW - if their attitude was worse after he contacted guest services, I don't think there's a reason to hide the name of the hotel. First, because then FTers will know if they ever use a 3rd party authorization form there they could run into some difficulties. Second because most times hotel improve after contact by guest services, not get worse. So they need to know that.

And I learned something today - 3rd party authorization forms. Never heard of them before.

Cheers.

Wow, I agree that I would have left the property as well.

Even with the 3rd party payment it is not worth the hassle of dealing with that sort of management at a hotel.

I am surprised the guy is getting beat up. Simplify it down. You went up to your room with dinner and the hotel called up more than one time about payment. Then they actually came and took the remaining food. I don't care how payment is arranged that is dispicable behavior for a hotel and I would have told the hotel employee to go F themselves... and then unplugged the phone. You people nit-picking about everything how would YOU feel if the hotel was treating you like that? That is simply not proper.